


And even in our sleep

by Lullabylily



Category: Alex Rider - Anthony Horowitz
Genre: Book 5: Scorpia, M/M, Pre-Slash, Sleep Deprivation, Yassen Gregorovich Lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-10-03 14:30:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17285852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lullabylily/pseuds/Lullabylily
Summary: Deprived of sleep by professor Gregorovich, Alex must learn to trust the assassin in order to let history repeat itself.





	And even in our sleep

**Author's Note:**

> I'm reposting stories I posted years ago on Livejournal over here. 
> 
> This was actually the first Alex Rider fanfic I ever wrote. It was for a flash_rider prompt.
> 
> Pre-slash. Set during Scorpia. When Alex was send to Malagosto he was told his training would be trying. In the end everyone was nice to him to gain his trust. Not exactly the ‘gruelling trials’ I expected. So; this is a Malagosto where they are genuinely training Alex, not lulling him into a false sense of belonging. And a Malagosto with Yassen. Of course. 
> 
> P.S. Yassen will always look like Damian Lewis to me.

∼*∼*∼

 

And even in our sleep 

The crack of a gunshot resounded, breaking the silence of the night. Alex Rider woke up with a start, the hollow noise echoing in his ears as his senses tingled in alarm.

"You are dead, Mr. Rider."

Alex tried to get up but his hand was trapped underneath a combat boot. He stared up at the owner of the boot. Yassen was clad in black, making his pale skin and red hair stand out in the moonlight. He held a small handgun. It was smoking. Feeling no unusual pain, Alex quickly worked out it hadn’t been fired at him.

"You allowed me to sneak up on you, Rider. Again."

He’d been on a simulation exercise for nearly three days. It was a mix of survival and camouflage exercises, targeting, endurance trials and time management. He’d had to decide for himself where and when to sleep. 

The first time he had woken up in the lake, his impulsive intake of breath resulting in his lungs being filled with water. Fighting the momentary sensation of drowning, Alex had struggled to the side coughing and wheezing. 

The second time he’d woken with Yassen’s hands clamped around his throat. His eyes had rolled back before the Russian assassin, blurring in his sight, had let go of him. 

"Even in our sleep we need to be on guard. Even then our senses need to be sharp."

But it had become clear to Alex that his senses needed sleep just as much as the rest of him. Alex had considered staying awake until the end of the exercise, but the trials were exhausting and he needed to regain his strength. He had carefully selected his next sleeping spot. Dry twigs surrounded the area. They would have snapped and cracked under the feet of any potential intruders. He should have heard Yassen arrive. But he hadn’t.

"If you cannot protect yourself and your mission while you’re asleep, you will stay awake."

 

∼*∼*∼

 

Exhausted could not begin to describe the condition Alex was in by the time he got back to the main base. Having had barely any sleep for over sixty hours, his head was throbbing and his limbs were tense and worn. He was nothing more than a raw bundle of reflexes. 

"Go to sleep, Alex Rider."

For a moment Alex thought he could hear concern in Yassen’s voice. Alex slumped up to his room to take a quick shower. He was asleep before his head even hit the pillow. 

 

∼*∼*∼

 

He never knew what it was that woke him. Instantly Alex felt something was wrong. His body complained as awareness grew and the strains of the past week could be felt in every muscle and nerve. He opened his eyes and knew he wasn’t in his own room. The room was more spacious, more luxurious still. He was resting on a king size bed on top of navy blue sheets. His hands were tied together above his head, bound to the bed by a brown, leather belt. Suddenly wide-eyed, Alex pulled on his bound hands, to no avail. He fervently looked around to room to make sense of his predicament and spotted Yassen positioned by the window.

"What is the meaning of this?" Alex was surprised at how hoarse his voice sounded.

Yassen slowly approached the bed, his eyes never leaving Alex. "You are a hopeless case, Alex. Not only was I able to take you from your chambers, I was able to bind you and remove your clothing. All the while you didn’t as much as stir."

Only then did Alex notice his nakedness. His face grew instantly hot, every muscle tensing. "That can’t be! I must've been drugged!"

Yassen’s eyes narrowed, but his lips curled into a smile. "You’re hardly in a position to argue."

Alex bit back any retorts, maneuvering his legs so that they covered at least part of his privates. It only made Yassen’s smile twist into a broad grin.

"Fine. You’ve got me. What do you want with me?" Alex had already decided that waking up choking or in a lake had been better alternatives to this.

"I want you to sleep." Yassen said calmly.

Scorpia was messing with his head. It had been clear from the start that they intended to break through his resolve and depriving him from sleep had been frighteningly effective.

"You let your guard down when you sleep, Alex. You can’t be trusted on your own. So Scorpia decided to pair you up for your first assignment. With me."

Alex’s mind reeled, his first assignment? "I thought you've retired."

"I’ll never be retired." Alex noted the bitterness in Yassen's voice.

"If we’re going to work together", Yassen continued, "I need to know I have your complete trust. Prove this to me by lowering your defenses and sleep right here and now."

Tied and naked, Alex added in his mind. Beginning to grasp what Yassen wanted from him. The request hung heavily in the air. 

"I trust you." Alex instantly knew he spoke the truth. He already trusted the assassin before the Russian had commanded him to do so. He had followed the assassin to Venice and beyond, blindly. He had already decided Yassen was worth trusting, bypassing all reason and common sense.

He held Yassen’s gaze. After a few moments the assassin’s eyebrow rose. Alex swallowed. "Sweet dreams." He said, forcing a small smile on his lips before closing his eyes.

He discovered he was trembling. Alex had to calm himself, had to consciously divert his attention from his bound hands and the feel of Yassen’s eyes on his body. He focused instead on the fatigue, giving into it and letting go of his guard. 

 

∼*∼*∼

 

When Alex woke again, hours later, it took him a moment to remember where he was and how he had gotten there. Sometime during the night Yassen had untied his hands. The assassin was now lying next to him. Asleep. Alex studied the sleeping form, surprised to find him looking so… peaceful. Vulnerable, Alex knew instantly. Perhaps it was a gesture to express the trust was mutual.

Or maybe Yassen was just a very light sleeper.


End file.
